Improved rear eject truck body tailgate operating system

Abstract

A tailgate operating system for a top loaded rear eject truck body includes a pulley disposed near a rear end of a truck body container. A first tension line extends over the pulley and includes a rear end and a front end. The rear end of the tension line is secured to a tailgate that is operable to close an open end of the truck body container. A coupler is secured to the front end of the tension line and is configured to selectively engage an ejector blade of the rear eject truck body such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates operation of the tailgate.

1 . A rear eject truck body comprising:
 a truck body container including a floor, opposing sidewalls, and an open rear end;   an ejector blade configured to move along the floor between a retracted position and an extended position toward the open rear end of the truck body container;   a tailgate extending across the open rear end of the truck body container and rotatable between an upper closed position and a lower open position; and   a tailgate operating system comprising:
 a pulley disposed near the rear end of the truck body container, 
 a first tension line extending over the pulley, the first tension line including a rear end secured to the tailgate and a front end, and 
 a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage the ejector blade such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates opening and closing of the tailgate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the tailgate is part of a rotating structure and movement of the tailgate to the lower open position causes the entire rotating structure to separate from the sidewalls of the truck body so as to avoid material buildup on the tailgate. 
     
     
         3 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the pulley is disposed within one of the sidewalls. 
     
     
         4 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the pulley is in the vicinity of the tailgate when the tailgate is in the upper closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler. 
     
     
         6 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system. 
     
     
         7 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 6 , wherein extension of the ejector blade releases the first tension line thereby allowing the tailgate to open by the force of gravity. 
     
     
         8 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tension line extends along a first sidewall of the truck body, and wherein the tailgate operating system includes a second tension line that extends along a second sidewall of the truck body container. 
     
     
         9 . A haulage truck comprising:
 a vehicle including a plurality of tires; and   a rear eject truck body according to  claim 1  disposed on the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The haulage truck according to  claim 9 , wherein the tires extend laterally outward under the opposing sides of the truck body container. 
     
     
         11 . The haulage truck according to  claim 9 , wherein the first tension line extends over one of the tires. 
     
     
         12 . A rear eject truck body comprising:
 a truck body container including a floor, opposing sidewalls, and an open rear end;   an ejector blade configured to move along the floor between a retracted position and an extended position toward the open rear end of the truck body container;   a tailgate extending across the open rear end of the truck body container and rotatable between an upper closed position and a lower open position; and   a tailgate operating system comprising:
 a pulley disposed near the rear end of the truck body container, 
 a first tension line extending over the pulley, the first tension line including a rear end and a front end, and 
 a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage the ejector blade such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates operation of the tailgate operating system; and 
   a rotating structure including a tailgate, secured to the truck body container by a hinged coupling, and attached to the rear end of the first tension line, wherein operation of the tailgate operating system moves the rotating structure from a closed position, in which the tailgate is adjacent to the opposing sidewalls of the truck body container, toward an open position such that the entire rotating structure separates from the sidewalls of the truck body container so as to avoid material buildup on the tailgate.   
     
     
         13 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 12 , wherein the tailgate operating system includes a pulley and the first tension line extends over the pulley. 
     
     
         14 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 12 , wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler. 
     
     
         15 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 12 , wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system. 
     
     
         16 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 15 , wherein extension of the ejector blade releases the first tension line thereby allowing the tailgate to open by the force of gravity. 
     
     
         17 . The rear eject truck body according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tension line extends along a first sidewall of the truck body, and wherein the tailgate operating system includes a second tension line that extends along a second sidewall of the truck body. 
     
     
         18 . A tailgate operating system for an open top rear eject truck body, the tailgate operating system comprising:
 a pulley disposed near a rear end of a truck body container,   a first tension line extending over the pulley, the first tension line including a rear end and a front end, the rear end being secured to a tailgate that is operable between opening and closing an open end of the truck body container, and   a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage an ejector blade of the rear eject truck body such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates operation of the tailgate.   
     
     
         19 . The tailgate operating system according to  claim 18 , wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler. 
     
     
         20 . The tailgate operating system according to  claim 18 , wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system.